Tom Wozniak heads up Marketing and Communications for OPTIZMO Technologies.
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To say 2020 has been a challenging time for marketing professionals would be an understatement. While some companies and industries are affected more than others, every marketer has needed to take a step back and reevaluate their marketing strategies to adapt to a suddenly changed landscape.
Many companies may take this opportunity to jump on board the newest platforms and marketing channels to engage with their audiences in entirely new ways. There are certainly good reasons to test new communication channels, but when you are reassessing your marketing plan, don't ignore some of the more tried-and-true digital marketing strategies that already have a track record of success.
Here are three well-established digital marketing channels that you should consider either adding to your strategy or ramping up.
When it comes to digital marketing, email is the granddaddy of the industry. But, like wine or whiskey, email marketing keeps getting better with age. Today, email can adapt to accommodate the device a recipient uses to access their inbox, from a smartphone with a touchscreen to a desktop with a mouse and everything in between. Messages can focus on text or become nearly as interactive as a website.
If you aren't already using email marketing, this is the perfect time to start incorporating it into your marketing strategy. Even if email is already a part of your strategy, this is a good time to reevaluate how you're using the channel and look for more opportunities to incorporate it and drive results. At OPTIZMO, we're seeing an increase in overall email marketing activity across companies in many industries. With so many more people working from home, at least temporarily, email can be even more effective at driving results.
SMS
Similar to email, SMS (text message) marketing isn't exactly the new kid on the block. It has been a staple of daily life for most consumers since they bought their first cell phone. While we may think of text messaging as a way to send out a quick group message or ask for a picture of the grocery list you left on the counter, marketers have taken to the channel in increasing numbers over the past few years.
However, SMS marketing can be challenging, and like email, requires strict compliance with a set of regulations. The channel itself is also more restrictive than most marketing channels, with it being limited mainly to mobile devices and typically only supports a limited number of text characters.
Despite the challenges, SMS can be a powerful tool to combine with your other marketing initiatives to deliver a comprehensive and effective communication strategy. Many marketers use SMS in conjunction with email as a way to get important or timely information out to customers or subscribers in real time.
Video
Ever since the first motion picture, people have loved watching video content. With the advent of 4G, LTE and now 5G in mobile, and high-speed broadband running into so many homes and businesses, delivering video content suddenly became a fast and simple process. With that easy access came an explosion of video content for consumers to download or stream on whatever device they have at hand. Today, video marketing is a booming communication channel, with companies creating all kinds of content for their customers and prospects.
While the best quality video still requires higher-end equipment, it is now possible for virtually anyone to record comparatively good quality video on the smartphone in their pockets. This has given marketers the ability to get very creative with video content, without a significant financial investment. It's a far cry from the days where only bigger brands might be able to afford to shoot and leverage TV with commercials.
Video is also incredibly versatile when it comes to developing creative content. In 2020, with social distancing and work-from-home becoming the norm, video can provide a way to deliver more personal messages, while face-to-face interactions are limited. Whether that is recording videos of your company's team members in their home offices or leveraging user-generated content around product reviews, video can help bridge the gap and make a more personal connection with your audience. Once you have video content, it is easy to incorporate it into your other marketing channels, like email and social, expanding its impact.
There are many other marketing channels you should employ in your overall marketing strategy, but make sure you consider each of these as you continue to adjust your overall marketing plan for the remainder of this year and beyond.
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